University of Virginia Library

Crew Benefits From Gold
Medal Winners' Program

By Bill Edgerton

While other spring sports teams
have been getting into shape and
form the University Crew has not
been neglecting its program. In
preparation for the spring season,
the oarsmen have been working out
six days a week, alternating days
between running and weightlifting.
By the time weather warms enough
to permit the team to get on the
water, the rowers should have
sufficient endurance and strength
to get down to serious work.

As of now, however, the crew, a
club team, is conditioning in a
room of Memorial Gym provided
by Butch Slaughter, director of
intramurals.

The team has been taking some
hints from some big winners, the
gold-winning Ratzeburg crew of
West Germany. The crew has
modeled their weight training
program after the West German
crew. It consists of a varied
warm-up going into three main
weight exercises- the clean, the
jerk, and the knee bend.

After the crewmen have finished
the bulking-up portion, of their
workout, they become long
distance runners and thus build up
their stamina and endurance. Wind
sprints are included for additional
muscle development along with
endurance. However, concentration
in this part of the workout is on
"Stadium Steps." This exercise
consists of running up and down
the steps of The Lambeth Field
stands a number of times.

At the present time the crew
boasts a sturdy fifty member squad,
but hopes to increase this number
are high, through the additional
recruiting of first-yearmen and
upper-classmen alike throughout
the remainder of the month.
Although it would seem that it is
too late, more oarsmen are needed,
and Coach Tim Kerr stressed the
importance of anyone interested in
signing up now so that they might
have the opportunity of benefiting
as much as possible from the
training program and hopefully be
in shape when the club begins
practice on the water March 1.

Coach Kerr and the rest of the
crew encourage anyone interested
in appearing for a workout in the
crew room on the main floor of
Memorial Gym, across the
basketball floor from the entrance
lobby any afternoon at 4.